This project was made possible through the collaborative effort of several organizations involved in watershed assessment and analysis. The interdisciplinary nature of this project required an array of professionals who shared their knowledge, time, and expertise in various areas of study including Biology, Environmental Studies, Geography, GIS and Environmental Policy. Professors and students involved in this project worked directly with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, the Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs, the City of Sandy Springs, and Kennesaw State’s Department of Geography and Anthropology and the Department of Biology and Physics.
Thank you to the Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs (WASS), a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and assessing the health of waterways in Sandy Springs. Since last year, WASS founder Patty Berkovitz and Dr. Dick Farmer have partnered with professors Dr. Patterson and Dr. Pullen to create the curriculum and work out the logistics of this ambitious project. In addition, WASS invited invaluable guest speakers and generously sponsored the t-shirts worn at all times during class and site monitoring.
Thank you to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS), a governmental program under the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Water Protection Branch whose goals are to “(1) increase public awareness of the State's nonpoint source pollution and water quality issues, (2) provide citizens with the tools and training to evaluate and protect their local waterways, (3) encourage partnerships between citizens and their local government, and (4) collect quality baseline water quality data” (AAS). Georgia Adopt-A-Stream was instrumental in providing training for the physical, chemical, and bacterial guidelines observed in this project. We personally would like to thank Sharon Smith of Fulton County Water Resources and Jason Ulseth of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper who trained and certified students in the physical/chemical, and bacterial parameters, respectively. We thank David Fountain, a long-serving AAS volunteer who has been monitoring Long Island Creek for over 17 years, for sharing his results and personal experience with the class.
Thanks to the City of Sandy Springs which has played a vital role in this year’s project. The city granted the permit for the stream bank restoration implemented by the students as secondary project and housed this project’s final presentation at the North Fulton Annex on 11 July 2012. Having a close relationship with WASS, three respected City of Sandy Springsemployees were invited by Patty Berkovitz to share their knowledge and expertise with the class. Angela Parker, Director of Community Development of Sandy Springs, illustrated her responsibility in the city’s planning as well as environmental code enforcement. Celia Klardie, Storm Water Manager at North Fulton building, and Michael Barnett, Arborist and Environmental Compliance Director, highlighted the impact of urbanization to the health of streams relating it to our areas of study, Long Island and Marsh Creeks.
Thank you to Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) own Department of Geography and Anthropology for contributing resources, including classroom facilities and the GIS computer lab where the land use analysis took place. KSU’s Department of Biology and Physics lent two experts in Ichthyology and Phycology essential to the success of this study. A special thank you to Dr. Bill Ensign, Consulting Ichthyologist, and his assistant Amy Mundell, conducted a fish community index using a fish shocking technique at Long Island Creek site 5. Thanks also to Dr. Troy Muchler, Consulting Phycologist and Eric Duncan who conducted chlorophyll and algae tests in Long Island and Marsh Creeks sites 2, 4, and 6. We specially acknowledge KSU's Department of Environmental Studies for making this year's project a reality by generously sponsoring part of this program.
We extend our gratitude to the National Park Service at the Chattahoochee National Recreation Center for granting us the permission to work on Long Island Creek Site 6, located at the mouth of the stream where it empties into the Chattahoochee River. We especially thank Allyson Read for giving us an informative tour of the East Palisades section of the park, educating the class on the existing concerns affecting the stream and surrounding riparian area.
We also extend our gratitude to Glenridge Hall in Sandy Springs for granting us permission to work on Marsh Creek Site 3.
Finally, we would like to thank the individuals and groups who made the stream bank restoration project possible. The class was able to participate in a restoration project off of Powers Chase Circle in Sandy Springs that allowed the students to gain first hand experience in improving an impaired waterway. A big thank you to Jack White, from Southeast Waters, and Mary Lanning from Lanning Consulting, for providing the students with valuable insight and experience, and guiding the class throughout the restoration process. Finally, the property manager, Jack Merkel, who provided us with the opportunity to conduct this project by allowing us to work on the property and sponsoring, in part, this course for next academic year.
Stakeholders
This project was made possible through the collaborative effort of several organizations involved in watershed assessment and analysis. The interdisciplinary nature of this project required an array of professionals who shared their knowledge, time, and expertise in various areas of study including Biology, Environmental Studies, Geography, GIS and Environmental Policy. Professors and students involved in this project worked directly with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, the Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs, the City of Sandy Springs, and Kennesaw State’s Department of Geography and Anthropology and the Department of Biology and Physics.
Thank you to Arlington Memorial Park (Aaron Sarab) for sponsoring part of this project/course.
Thank you to the Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs (WASS), a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and assessing the health of waterways in Sandy Springs. Since last year, WASS founder Patty Berkovitz and Dr. Dick Farmer have partnered with professors Dr. Patterson and Dr. Pullen to create the curriculum and work out the logistics of this ambitious project. In addition, WASS invited invaluable guest speakers and generously sponsored the t-shirts worn at all times during class and site monitoring.
Thank you to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS), a governmental program under the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Water Protection Branch whose goals are to “(1) increase public awareness of the State's nonpoint source pollution and water quality issues, (2) provide citizens with the tools and training to evaluate and protect their local waterways, (3) encourage partnerships between citizens and their local government, and (4) collect quality baseline water quality data” (AAS). Georgia Adopt-A-Stream was instrumental in providing training for the physical, chemical, and bacterial guidelines observed in this project. We personally would like to thank Sharon Smith of Fulton County Water Resources and Jason Ulseth of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper who trained and certified students in the physical/chemical, and bacterial parameters, respectively. We thank David Fountain, a long-serving AAS volunteer who has been monitoring Long Island Creek for over 17 years, for sharing his results and personal experience with the class.
Thanks to the City of Sandy Springs which has played a vital role in this year’s project. The city granted the permit for the stream bank restoration implemented by the students as secondary project and housed this project’s final presentation at the North Fulton Annex on 11 July 2012. Having a close relationship with WASS, three respected City of Sandy Springsemployees were invited by Patty Berkovitz to share their knowledge and expertise with the class. Angela Parker, Director of Community Development of Sandy Springs, illustrated her responsibility in the city’s planning as well as environmental code enforcement. Celia Klardie, Storm Water Manager at North Fulton building, and Michael Barnett, Arborist and Environmental Compliance Director, highlighted the impact of urbanization to the health of streams relating it to our areas of study, Long Island and Marsh Creeks.
Thank you to Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) own Department of Geography and Anthropology for contributing resources, including classroom facilities and the GIS computer lab where the land use analysis took place. KSU’s Department of Biology and Physics lent two experts in Ichthyology and Phycology essential to the success of this study. A special thank you to Dr. Bill Ensign, Consulting Ichthyologist, and his assistant Amy Mundell, conducted a fish community index using a fish shocking technique at Long Island Creek site 5. Thanks also to Dr. Troy Muchler, Consulting Phycologist and Eric Duncan who conducted chlorophyll and algae tests in Long Island and Marsh Creeks sites 2, 4, and 6. We specially acknowledge KSU's Department of Environmental Studies for making this year's project a reality by generously sponsoring part of this program.
We extend our gratitude to the National Park Service at the Chattahoochee National Recreation Center for granting us the permission to work on Long Island Creek Site 6, located at the mouth of the stream where it empties into the Chattahoochee River. We especially thank Allyson Read for giving us an informative tour of the East Palisades section of the park, educating the class on the existing concerns affecting the stream and surrounding riparian area.
We also extend our gratitude to Glenridge Hall in Sandy Springs for granting us permission to work on Marsh Creek Site 3.
Finally, we would like to thank the individuals and groups who made the stream bank restoration project possible. The class was able to participate in a restoration project off of Powers Chase Circle in Sandy Springs that allowed the students to gain first hand experience in improving an impaired waterway. A big thank you to Jack White, from Southeast Waters, and Mary Lanning from Lanning Consulting, for providing the students with valuable insight and experience, and guiding the class throughout the restoration process. Finally, the property manager, Jack Merkel, who provided us with the opportunity to conduct this project by allowing us to work on the property and sponsoring, in part, this course for next academic year.
Introduction | Stakeholders | Water Quality | Urban Ecology | Land Use Mapping | Study Sites | Methods | Results | Conclusions